FIRED FOR POLITICAL REASONS?
by Dustin Barnes - KNOE Channel 8 (CBS) (excerpt)

Valarie Clark and her cousin Richard Johnson are usually at work at the Waterproof police station around mid-day during the week, but not on Wednesday. Both lost their jobs this week and they don't know why.

Valarie Clark says "The only thing I can think of is political. He assumed that our families didn't support him in the election, and like I told him before to him that I have no control of these people."

She's referring to Waterproof Mayor Bobby Higginbotham. He ran for Tensas Parish Sheriff but lost to the incumbent Rickey Jones. Clark says before the election, the mayor told her and Johnson that he needed their families' support to win. She says that after he lost, things turned for the worse, especially after they were spotted celebrating the incumbent's win on election night.

Clark says "I was at the victory party for the sheriff that was re-elected and someone went back and told him that."

A week later, she and Johnson were hand-delivered letters, that reads in part: Your commission as a law enforcement officer is hereby revoked. please return all keys, cellular telephones, firearms, etc, by 4 p-m today. Johnson says he had a feeling this would happen.